Manufacture an Enemy
Pick a rival — real or invented — to create an insatiable drive to win.
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 72%
The MFM founders repeatedly credit having an enemy — real or fabricated — as a core motivational engine. Sam treated Morning Brew and the Skimm as enemies; Austin 'creates an opponent in his head' to generate an insatiable drive to win; and they point to Beehiiv-vs-ConvertKit as a current example, noting the founders are actually friends. The device works because a concrete opponent gives you something to measure against and beat every day, converting abstract ambition into a rivalry you can feel. Alex's first newsletter in his new venture is literally about enemies. The key insight is that the enemy doesn't have to be real — the story you tell yourself is what supplies the fuel.
Origin
Sam Parr and the Morning Brew founders used the Skimm and each other as enemies; they cite Beehiiv vs ConvertKit (whose founders are friends) as a live example of the same device.
Core principles
- 01A concrete opponent converts ambition into drive.
- 02The enemy can be invented — the story is the fuel.
- 03Rivalry gives you something to beat every day.
- 04Even friendly rivals sharpen each other.
How to run it
- 1
Choose a specific opponent
Pick a concrete rival — a competitor, a category incumbent, or an invented foil — to measure yourself against.
- 2
Build the story
Frame the rivalry as a narrative the team can rally around, the way Morning Brew framed itself against legacy media and the Skimm.
- 3
Use it as daily fuel
Let the rivalry raise your intensity each day, giving abstract ambition a concrete target to beat.
Pro tip The enemy doesn't have to be real — Sam admits much of his rivalry was 'a story I made up.'
- 4
Keep it healthy
Channel the rivalry into drive rather than genuine hostility; the Beehiiv and ConvertKit founders are friends who still benefit from the fight.
In the wild
Sam spent years treating the MFM/Morning Brew founders as enemies, later admitting 'I never hated you guys, I hated the story that I made up of you' — and that having that enemy was enormously motivating.
→ An invented rivalry supplied real drive for years, even though the hostility wasn't real.
Alex points to Beehiiv having ConvertKit as an enemy, noting both founders are wonderful people who'd get along, but the fight motivates everyone a little more.
→ A friendly rivalry still sharpens both sides.
Common mistakes
Needing the enemy to be real
Waiting for a genuine villain wastes the device; the motivating story can be invented and still work.
Letting rivalry turn toxic
If the enemy narrative breeds real hostility or distraction rather than drive, it stops serving you.
Is it for you?
Best for
Founders and teams who want a durable, emotional engine of motivation.
Not ideal for
People for whom rivalry breeds toxicity or distraction rather than drive.
From the transcript
“Having that story was so helpful. Having an enemy was so helpful even if it's made up.”
“Austin kind of creates an opponent in his head, and that is enough to basically create this insatiable drive to win.”
From the episode
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